The World Stops
by La'Fae Villiers
Summary: Just a quick YujxMaqui fic to get me back into writing. Kind of sad. I like it. Read, review, enjoy. Updates for all my other stories on the way. Rated T for themes.


**A/N: Guess who's back! Sorry for the super delay! Everything will be updated soon! This is just a quick fic to get me going again. It's a kind of 'what if' story.**

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"Do we just shoot?" The blonde boy adjusts his goggles and stares at the slender man next to him.

"No, we have to wait for Snow." Yuj offers a sideways glance to his best friend. "Learn some patience." The younger boy lets out a groan.

"I _do_ have patience! I mean look how long I've-" Yuj cuts him off fluidly.

"Yeah yeah we can talk about that later." Yuj nudges Maqui's arm playfully and readjusts his gun on his hip. He'd never felt right holding a gun, let alone using it. He always saw himself as the guy who hangs out at the beach all day, caked in sunscreen and sipping a colorful drink. He looks at Maqui again, who's staring at his own gun with a blank expression on. Yuj has the sudden urge to touch Maqui's hair, to reassure him, to smile.

Instead he turns away. A large man runs right to the duo, dark muscles gleaming as bright as his eyes.

"Hey Gadot." Maqui stretches a boyish smile across his sweet face, like butter melting on the surface of a hot pan.

"Hey Mac." He turns to Yuj. "Yuj. How are you guys holding up?" He puts his gun on his muscled shoulder and Yuj feels a pang of jealousy. Not that he want's muscles like Gadot, he's perfectly fine being slender. Not that he wants to be that tan either, although it'd be nice not to burn so easily. But he held a gun like it was an attachment, like it was natural. He didn't seem to be out of place at all. Yuj crinkles his nose a bit at the thought. Why can't he be stronger?

Gadot smoothes his orange hair back a bit a scratches his neck. As if he knew Yuj was surveying him.

"We're okay." Maqui says almost offhandedly.

"Better since Lebreau went to check for more ammo. I swear to Cocoon she's PMSing." Yuj breaks into a small smile as Gadot laughs.

"Dude, I think she is all the time." Gadot says through chuckles as Maqui joins in.

"What about me? I heard my name." Lebreau saunters over, machine gun in hand. Maqui straightens up instinctively and Gadot's smile drops. Yuj watches as Maqui fidgets nervously. The blue haired boy takes a step closer to Maqui and takes his jittery hand secretly. His fingers stop twitching and he seems to relax.

"I asked where you were." Gadot smiles charmingly. Lebreau sighs.

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes and shifts her weight to the other foot, switching her hips. "Snow is on his way."

An hour later Maqui and Yuj are sitting behind a metal crate, awaiting further orders.

"I still don't understand what's going on." Maqui whispers to his curvy friend. Yuj bites his lip, enjoying his friend's nearness.

"Basically we have to wait until the enemy shoots first. We can't do anything until then." Yuj presses his back into the crate and hears his spine uncurl in a series of cracks.

"But why?" Maqui whispers again, confusion set on his brow.

"Because we're part of NORA and we follow orders?" Yuj says dryly as he scratches his stomach through his shirt. Maqui watches as Yuj's hand drops back to his side.

"Not that. Why do we have to even fight?" Yuj looks over at Maqui as he waits for an answer. His eyes read innocence and Yuj is reminded of the tenderhearted moments they've always shared and the closer moments…

"A bunch of political crap." Yuj says, abandoning his feelings of kindness and switching gears to sarcasm. Maqui shakes his head in confusion, not wanting to ask any more questions. Yuj exhales slowly then turns to his younger friend.

"Listen." Yuj puts a hand on either side of Maqui's face as they face each other. "We just have to make it through today and then we can go back to the Inn." Yuj runs his fingers through a few strands of blonde hair.

"When will this be over though?" Maqui asks, putting a hand over one of Yuj's. Yuj slides his right hand, the one that Maqui isn't touching, down to Maqui's neck. The slight move sends Goosebumps down the blonde's back.

"Soon. I promise." Yuj slides his hand around Maqui's neck and pulls him closer. Maqui closes his eyes and waits, millions of images flashing through his mind.

Mussed up bedspreads, shuddering gasps, sweat rolling down a pale back, blue hair mixed with blonde as bodies mesh. Sneaky smiles, secret kisses, hanging at the back of the crowd so they could touch hands. Eyes wide, lips soft, fingernails digging into mattresses as both bodies sigh with pleasure.

Yuj closes the gap between them, letting his lips rest lightly on his counterparts'. Their lips move in harmony as Yuj gently opens his mouth, forcing Maqui to mimic. Their breath quickens as tongues caress and hearts flutter. Maqui leans in closer to Yuj and puts a hand on his hip as a fire ignites in his chest.

They both get lost in the moment as Maqui's hand explores the smooth expanse of skin under Yuj's shirt and Yuj tangles his hands into Maqui's hair. Yuj starts to get on top of Maqui and then reality hits and he remembers where he is. He stops and they break away slowly, each catching their breath.

"Why do we always get carried away?" Yuj gives a weak laugh, followed by an all-too-sexy smile.

"Please, I get caught up. You're too seductive." Maqui laughs and leans his head on Yuj's shoulder.

"I can't help what I was born with." Yuj deflects an innocent prod from Maqui. It's true that he always gets caught up. When they're together, magic happens. The world just seems to stand still.

"Shut it. Ever think that this is real?" Yuj clamps his eyes shut at this question. He stays silent, his low commitment rate flaring up in his mind.

"Maqui… you know I can't say it." Maqui nuzzles into his shoulder more.

"Why? Don't you feel it?" He says quietly. No answer. He wants to scream and shout to the world about how much he…. He can't even _think_ the word. It just seems so major. But he does feel something huge for Maqui. He's sure it's…well it has to be…but he just can't bring himself to say it.

"Guys! They're coming!" Gadot's voice and footsteps approach and the two boys detach themselves quickly right before Gadot rounds the corner. "They're-"

Gadot's voice is drown out by the sound of gunfire. Bullets fly, one narrowly missing Gadot. The large man ducks behind a metal crate and fires from around the corner. Maqui looks at Yuj with worried eyes and Yuj tries to take a deep breath, fear finally surfacing.

Maqui grips his gun tighter and gets on his knees to look over the edge of the crate. He nudges Yuj with his elbow.

"Come on." Maqui whispers urgently. Yuj's heart buckles as he gets on his knees beside his friend. He peers over the crate to see men in war gear shooting frantically, their guns unloading on NORA. Some pause to clip in new mags while others just fire manically, shells flying in all directions. Yuj swallows the lump in his throat as he feels smaller and smaller.

Maqui starts firing. Yuj squeezes the trigger and accepts the minor recoil as the lethal metal flies out of the barrel. Lebreau gets her arm grazed and ducks for cover, cursing colorfully. Snow is the man of the hour, standing up and firing like it's no one's business. Yuj continues firing, occasionally hitting the armor of an opposing man. A few lay wounded from Snow's fury.

Maqui glances over at Snow and frowns slightly. He stands up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Yuj hisses as he ducks behind the crate, tugging on Maqui's shirt. Yuj knows about Maqui's infatuation with Snow, his urge to be like him. But this just isn't the right way to go about it.

"Helping." Maqui says through gritted teeth. He fires frantically, and shells shower Yuj.

"Get down please!" Yuj nearly screams. Maqui stands his ground, bolts of metal flying from both directions. "Maqui I can't lose-"

And then it happened.

Time seems to freeze as Yuj watches, wide eyed, as a bullet rips through Maqui's left shoulder. Blood flecks on to Yuj's face as tears glaze his eyes. Maqui's gun drops to the floor and seems to echo as it clatters. Maqui's face is a mask of shock as he falls backwards to the hard floor. His body falls heavily, as if he's made of lead. The world around Yuj fades; the shouts from other NORA members, the relentless gunfire. All he can see is Maqui.

He crawls over to him quickly and sits him up by his shoulders, making him lean on his body. The blonde boy coughs and some blood flies out of his mouth. Yuj heaves in air, trying to blink away the moment. Tears burn his eyes. Maqui looks up, his eyes glassy.

"What…happened?" He asks groggily, as if he just woke up from sleeping. Yuj can feel Maqui's blood soak through his pants and drip onto the floor.

"Nothing Mac, nothing." Yuj bites back sobs, feeling nauseous.

"Then why are you crying?" Maqui asks slowly. Yuj lets his sobs erupt and he doesn't care how ridiculous or ugly he must look. Maqui winces in pain as he touches his shoulder. He holds his red stained fingers in front of his face. "I.." He takes in a stuttering breath.

"Got shot." Yuj allows tears to soak his face, some dripping down to Maqui. A lifetime of memories flow through his mind. And a slew of predictions for the future, all of which hold Maqui. Yuj blinks, but now he won't have Maqui.

"I'm cold." Maqui blinks heavily and the world seems to grow darker. Yuj looks at the spreading pool of crimson, salty tears mixing with red. Yuj inhales a shaky breath and looks at Maqui's face, which is drained of color. He doesn't look boyish or young, just a shell of his former self. Old, gaunt.

"It'll be okay. We're gonna be fine." Yuj sniffs, he doesn't have to look around to know that help isn't on the way. And that his world seems to be desperately out of control, being overpowered by fate. "We're going home."

"Yuj…" Maqui closes his eyes slowly, as if trying to fight sleep. Yuj doesn't think about what he says next, and maybe that's how it should have been all along. Not speaking from the mind, but the heart. No matter how scared he might have been.

"I love you Maqui." Yuj starts crying loudly as his best friend, his world, reaches up to touch his tear stained face. Then his hand drops and his eyes go blank. Death finally have taken hold on Yuj's one reason to wake up every morning, his one reason to live.

The world seems to completely disappears as Yuj holds his best friend, imagining him alive and well. Praying for a happy ending.

But how can you have a happy ending, when your whole world just died?

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**End A/N: Okay it's kind of sad, but if that's what it takes to get me back into writing… I hope you enjoyed! Now I'm off to update everything else! Review if you want to. **


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